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Why Am I Smiling?

I can’t tell you just yet… but I promise that I will soon. If you’re anything like me and hate waiting, check out this post from back in May for a little hint. I can’t wait to share the news with you. All I can say is that I’m so excited for January!!

Until then let’s talk about some yummy food, shall we?

I hauled out my crockpot and remembered how much I love it. It seriously makes my life so much easier, especially when I’m doing a show!! I made this indian inspired spinach and tofu dishJoey and I both liked it, but agreed that it wasn’t the best thing we’d ever eaten. It was good, but needed a little extra something. I may give it another shot because I think it has potential! I also made (but haven’t tried) the sweet potato chili but Joey messaged me at lunch to say that he loved it. This coming from someone who doesn’t love the sweet potato, so it must be a hit!!

If you’ve been neglecting your crock pot, dust it off and give it a whirl. I love just throwing everything and coming home (or waking up) to a house that smells like someone has been working away in the kitchen for hours! Stephanie O’Dea has some amazing recipes on her site and in her cookbook Make it Fast, Cook it Slow. Or if you’re a Weight Watchers member who was able to take advantage of the 50% off cookbooks sale this month, the Momentum cookbook has a whole chapter on slow cooker favourites! It is perfect for those days that you know you don’t have time to cook, but want a home cooked meal.

I really don’t think that there’s a single bad recipe in Eat, Drink and Be Vegan. Either that or I just have really good luck!! This week I tried my hand at four new Dreena recipes: orange-sesame tofu with coconut rice and simple swiss chard with a bowl of perfectly ripe mango slices for dessertand the black bean and corn tortilla lasagna

Everything was brilliant. The tofu, rice and swiss chard were actually the perfect meal. Each component complimented one another and Joey even exclaimed that he likes swiss chard more than kale. Yay for green veggies!! The black bean and corn lasagna caused him to proclaim that “it’s meals like this that make me forget that you’re gluten free and vegan”. Isn’t that awesome??

I had someone innocently ask me yesterday if I could take pills so that I could eat dairy or gluten. I responded by saying that I work on eating food that makes me feel good and I don’t want to be putting more crap into my body in order to eat the foods that make me feel bad. That seems like a lose-lose situation to me. I too used to be in the mind frame that I couldn’t live without cheese, ice cream, bread or regular pasta but I’ve really come to realize that I don’t need those foods, nor do I crave them. We eat tonnes of good food in our house, and it just happens to be gluten free and vegan.

I’m so excited for next week’s Crohn’s Week posts!! It’s been really interesting to reflect on the year that has passed this week and I hope to raise some awareness for IBD and share my other bit of exciting news with you.

Yesterday was my dad’s birthday so I wanted to say Happy Birthday to him!

My dad is so sweet and supports me in everything that I do. I am very lucky to have him!! Dad, I hope you had a great day and I look forward to seeing you soon.

I feel like everything is falling into place and that is certainly a reason to smile. Happy Friday my dear bloggies!

I used to take Lactaid pills to help with the dairy and such, but they never worked!! They weren't strong enough for my system :( Here's to just eating WELL and not worrying about taking a pill to fix everything.

Unlike the others, I'm going to take a stab at your excitement....you were accepted to Nutrition school and start in January?....I hope so! Think of all the wonderful things you could create after learning even more about the food we are putting in our bodies. Fingers crossed that this is the "excitement"!

Hi. I found your blog and like it. Maybe nutrition school? Ironically I am in Ontario area also and would love to attend the Institute of Holistic Nutrition but my financial situation prevents it now...maybe a few years from now.Your meals look lovely. I am not vegetarian or vegan, but I have been reading so much on it that I have decided to incorporate more vegetarian and vegan meals and snacks in my day. I really believe one day I will be fully vegan. I see so much support for it. I also read the Kind Life and it has some really nice recipes you might like.Congrats on your news whatever it might be.

Hi there, I love this blog!I am thinking about transitionig into veganism. Right now I still eat eggs maybe 2 or 3 times a week, and I still eat fish. I have not been eating dairy or meat though. I do see a lot of bloggers rave about goat cheese though , so I am debating the merits of this. Particularly since I find myself now eating heavy on the nuts and seeds. Can that really be better than substituting some cheese now and then? Eating is complicated sometimes :)Anyway, I just wanted to ask if you could say sometime what a typical day is like for you. I eat soy products 2-3 times a week , but debate how healthy soy is on a daily or frequent basis. So I eat a lot of granola, nuts, seeds, beans and lentils to compensate. How do you round out each day to have a balance? What are the main differences you have found since going vegan? When did you go vegan, were you vegetarian first?Sorry for 101 questions. I just am so interested in the benefits of this lifestyle.

Thanks all!! Can't wait to divulge all the details, but I will say that you've got the right idea :)

Will check out the Kind Diet!

Laura - I'm a big believer in doing what works well for you. I transitioned to veganism for health reasons. I didn't stop off as a vegetarian in the middle! I was eating everything, then cut out gluten and dairy and then went vegan.

To find balance, I just work to eat a variety of foods. Lots of fruits & veggies, whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat), protein (beans, lentils, nuts, some soy) and just try to keep things varied and interesting.

My eating makes me feel good and that has been the main difference for me. My Crohn's is in check, I have lots of energy and generally feel great!